Tucking and welting attachment for knitting-machines.



No. 693,397. Patented Feb. 18, I902.

W. D. & L. C. HUSE.

TUCKIN'G AND WELTING ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING'MAGHINES.

(Application ma i Feb. 4, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets$hae t l.

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[ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN D. HUSE AND LEON O. HUSE, OF LAOONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNORS OFONE-THIRD TO WALTER L. HUSE, OF LACONIA, NEW

HAMPSHIRE;

TUCKING AND WELTlNG ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,397, dated February18, 1902.

I Application filed Pebrnary4. 1901. Serial No. 46,003. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: v I

Be it known that we, WARREN D. HUSE and LEON C. HUSE, citizens of theUnited States,

vresiding at Laconia, county of Belknap, State of New Ha1npshire,haveinvented an Improvement in Tucking and Welting-Attachments forKnitting-Machines, of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters on thedrawings representing like parts.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to tucking. andwelting attachments for knitting-machines of that general type designedfor producing a tubular ribbed fabric and known as dial-machines.

In the formation of stockings and other articles of wearing-apparel itis desirable to knit the foot or other portion of plain web, the leg orother adjacent portion of ribbed web, and to finish the end of the legwith a tuck or welt, or both. In forming the ribbed portion of the webit is necessary that the dial and cylinder needles shall be operated bytheir respective cams to take yarn and knit, the paths of the dial andcylinder needles intersecting, as will be understood, and when a plainportion of the fabric is to be formed'that the dial-needles shall bethrown out of action while the cylinder needles continue to knit, as inordinary circular machines. When a tuckstitch is to be produced, it isessential that while the dial-needles continue to be moved by thedial-cams such movement shall not be sufficient to cause thedial-needles to shed their loops, the cylinder-needles during such timebeing operated as usual in the production of a plain web and the yarnbeing laid upon the dial-needles, but not drawn through the loopsretained by them. After a sufficient number of courses of plain web havebeen knitted by the cylinder-needles it is then necessary to return tofull activeoperation the heretofore functionally inoperativedial-needles, which then, in conjunction with the cylinder-needles,receive yarn and knit. When a welt of the form contemplated herein is tobe formed, it is essential that the dialneedles shall be first renderedfunctionally inoperative, although being moved some liton the line a;00, Fig. 2.

tie by the dial-cams to permit the yarn to be laid thereon, as in theformation of the tuckstitch above described. Instead, however, ofreturning the dial-needles into functionally operative action after afew courses of plain web have been knitted by the cylinder-needles suchdial-needles are rendered fully inoperative either to receive yarn orknit,although they still retain their loops, and when thereafter asufficient length of plain web has been knitted by the cylinder-needlesthe dial-needles are returned to their full operative position, so thatthey receive yarn and knit in conjunction with the cylinder-needles toperfect the welt.

It is the object of this invention to provide of our attachment thereto,parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan vview of the same,

partly in section, and with parts broken away 1 to more clearly show theconstruction. Fig. 3 is a detached detail view of the dial-cam plate andits connected parts. Fig. 4 isa central vertical section of thedialneedle plate, dial-cam plate, and cooperating parts der side view ofthe switchplate. Fig. 6 is a detail of the toothed wheel for operatingthe cams which control the actuating-levers.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the bed ortable of the machine, in which are supported the usual cam and needlecylinders B and C, respectively, and which being of any usual andwell-known construction and forming no part of this present inventionare only shown in part and as of general character. The cam-cylinder Bhas projectingtherefrom the flange 13, provided with teeth B which,intermeshingwith the Fig. 5 is a detail un-.

IOO

' lower end in engagement with one of two corresponding teeth of a gearD, (partly shown in Fig. 2,) driven from any suitable means, is giventhe necessary movement as usual to reciprocate the needles 0.

Secured to a suitable stationary support, as E, is the dial-supportingspindle E, on the lower end of which the dial-needle plate F is mountedand fixedly connected thereto by the pin f. (See Fig. 4.) The upperportion of the dial-needle plate F is provided with the usualneedle-grooves f, in which the dialneedles f having the heels or ribs fare adapted to reciprocate under the action of the dial-cams, to behereinafter described.

Loosely surrounding the dial -supporting spindle E is the sleeve G,which, being connected to the camcylinder B through the collar 11,clamped upon the sleeve E by the bolt H, and the arm H secured to thecollar H and to the cam-cylinder B by the bracket H and screws H iscaused to partake of the movements of said cam-cylinder, as will beobvious. The sleeve G terminates above the dial-cam plate K, the latterbeing loosely mounted upon the spindle E above the dialneedle plate F,and in order to cause the dialcam plate K to move with the sleeve G, andconsequently with the needle-cylinder C, we interpose a locking devicebetween the said sleeve and dial-cam plate and provide means under thecontrol of a pattern to trip said locking device at desired times duringthe knitting operation, as will now be explained.

Mounted in anysuitable manner upon the sleeve G, so as to movetherewith, is a hub L, having at its lower end a suitable ear Z, inwhich slides a locking-pin L, said pin being also preferably guided atits upper end by an ear Z, formed on a plate L secured to move with thesleeve G and hub L. Upon the locking-pin L are two collars Z and Z whichreceive between them the bifurcated end of a trip-arm L pivoted atZ to abracket Z carried upon the top of the cam-cylinder B. The free end L ofthe trip-arm L is turned into contact with a cam L suitably supported ona pin L projecting from the bracket H carried by the cam-cylinder B, aspring L being interposed between the face of the cam and bracket toprevent too easy turning of the pin L. A spring 1 interposed between theearl and the collar Z on the loeking-pin,serves to normally retain thelocking-pin L with its holes a a in the top of the dial-cam plate K, inwhich disposition of parts the dial-cam plate will be caused to movewith the sleeve G, and consequently with the cam-cylinder B. In order todisengage the locking-pin from the dial-cam plate during the exigenciesof knitting, as will be explained, we provide on the end of the pin L atoothed wheel L, the teeth of which will strike a pin or pins L whenduring the rotation of the cam-cylinder such pin or pins are projectedabove the bedplate of the machine, as by risers L on a pattern-chain Lsaid chain being of any desired character and operated in the usualmanner of such devices, which, being well understood, need not befurther elucidated. The locking-holes in the dial-cam plate are solocated with respect to the dial-cams that when one of said holes isengaged by the lockingpin L the needles will be projected, as shown inFig. 1, in proper relation to the threadguides T of any usual form, soas to receive thread and knit; but when the locking-pin L is disengagedfrom the hole a, the dial-cam plate being thereby freed from connectionwith the cam-cylinder and remaining stationary with the dial-needleplate, the lockingpin L will move over the top of the dial-cam plate andengage the other locking-hole a, thus changing the relation of thedial-cams with respect to the thread-guide, so that while thedial-needles are fully reciprocated, as be fore, they are not in aposition to receive thread from the guides, and consequently will notknit.

From the above it will be evident that when the locking-pin is inengagement with the hole a, as in Fig. 1, both the dial and cylinderneedles will receive thread from the guide T and produce a ribbedfabric; but when the pin is released from the hole a and put intoengagement with the hole a the dial-needles will not receive thread andwill not therefore knit, yet the cylinder-needles will continue toreceive yarn and will operate to produce a plain knitted web, on thecompletion of which the locking-pin is tripped from hole a and movedover the now stationary cam-plate K into engagement with hole a, asbefore, whereupon rib-knitting is resumed. Thus by the changes notedeither a plain or a ribbed fabric may be produced.

The dial-cam plate and its connected cams are of peculiar construction,as will appear from Figs. 3 and 4:. The said dial-cam plate K is looselymounted upon the spindle E and carries on its under side, as shown inFig. 4, a cam 7;, having upwardly-projecting pins 7c it, which passthrough elongated slots k k in the cam-plate K. Thus thecam his adaptedto be slid on the cam-plate within certain limits defined by the lengthof the slots 7r? and when the cam is in position with the end 70 thereofprojected the dial-needles will be caused to reciprocate the usualknitting length to receive thread from the threadguide T and shed theirloops to knit in the usual manner; but when said cam 70 is in positionwith the end 70 thereof retracted, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4, thedialneedles, although still reciprocated somewhat, are not moved asuiiicient distance to shed their loops, and as a consequence the threadfrom the guide is simply laid upon the needles, which, however, stillretain their loops. In order to etfect this movement of the cam 70, wemount loosely upon the hub 7c of the dial-cam plate a switch-plate M.(Shown detached in Fig. 5.) This switch-plate has a flange m, cut awayat m, and at the end of said cut-away water and dial needles take threadfrom-the guide T and knit, the projecting pins 70 7t embrace the flangem of the switch-plate, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3; but when inthe production of tuck-stitch the dial-needles are to be renderedfunctionally, inoperative to shed their lo0p s, yet are tohave theyarn'laid there on, theswitch-plate M is moved so as to engage one ofthe projecting pins k between the cut-away wall 171. and the cam-switchm andthereby Withdraw or retract'the cam 70 into the position-indicatedin Fig. 3, and the requisite movement of the switch-plate M is impartedby the following mechanism:

Pivoted on a stud d, carried by a bracket cl, secured to thecam-cylinder B, is a switchplate actuator comprising an'arm d ,providedwith a projecting toe d and having pivoted at its upper end at d an arm(:1 pivotally joined to the projecting lug m securedto or formed as apart of the switch-plate, a spring (1, Fig. 1 normally tending to holdsaid too (1 upon a cam d formed on a stud d journaled in the bracket d.To the outer end of the stud d? is secured a toothed wheel'd into thepath of which as it is carried around by the cam-cylinder a'pattern-controlled pin or pins c1 are adapted to be projected under thecall of suitable risers on the pattern-chain L or anyother suitablemeans, so that the toothed wheel is adapted to be turned as de- I camis, so that it no longer acts to cause the dial-heedles to knit, asabove explained, although they take thread which is loosely laidthereon. Assume the dial and cylinder needles in position with relationto their actuating-cams and the threadguide toiproduce a ribbedfabric-that is, yarn being supplied to both the dial and cylinderneedles, as represented in Fig.1-and assume, further, that: it isdesired to form a tuck-stitch. Under these conditions the tooth-wheel (icarrying the cam al is caused to turn by certain pattern-controlledpins, as d which areprojected into the path of the teeth by the usual"scribed.

fullknitting operationto the dial-needles, into the retracted position,Fig. 3, where it gives only a part operation to saidneed les, whichthereupon receive yarn, butdonot shed their: loops. Thecylinder-needles-at this time continue to knitain plain stitch until therequisite number of plain courses have been produced, whereupon thepattern-controlled pins (Z are again projected into the path of thetoothed wheel d to turn it, and

the cam d coming under the toe d the switch-plate is moved back to itsoriginal posit-ion, freeing thepin It from the action oi the cam-switchmandby the cut-away wall m. of the flange on moving the dial-cam Itforward, so that it again assumes full functional knitting position withrespect to the dial-needles and thread-guide T, and the dial andcylinder needles then proceed to knit as be.- fore.

In order that a welt may be formed, it is cam, shall 1 not beinaposition to have yarn laid thereon, and to this end .the followingmechanism has been devised:

Mounted upon a stud e, secured to bracket (Z, carried by thecam-cylinder B, i's a cam plate actuator comprising a lever P, having atoe 10, normally resting on a cam P, secured to the stud d said toebeing yieldingly pressed toward said cam by a spring ve, one end ofwhich is secured toapin e? on the hub of the lever P and the other endto the camcylinder at 6 To the upper end ofilever P is pivoted at p anarm 19, bent as shown in Fig. l and having its free end p 'resting'in adepression p in thetop of the dial cam plate K, a spring 13connectingthearm p with the lever P, normallyanaintaining the end'of thearm seated in the depression 39 By reference to Fig. 1 it'will be notedthat the hole a in the dial-cam plate K has one of its walls beveled orcut away at a so that under a force tending'to turnthe dial-camplatefrom thelocking-pin'andpermit itto be turned to carry the nose orprojecting end k of the dial-cam from the position in which it projectsthey dial-needles adjacent the threadguide T to receive yarn or threadto a second position away from the thread-guide, so that the saidneedles will no [longer receive yarn or thread,such movement-of thedial-cam plate being secured; by the arm 10', underthe control'of theactuator P, which is itself moved bygthe cam P on the studd as-the'toothed wheel d is turned by the pins d under the-call of the pattern,as already de- As the dial-cam plate K is thus. turned to putthe cam'insuch-position with relation to the thread-guide T that the-dialneedlesshall not haveyarn laid thereon it is necessary also to simultaneouslyturn to the same amount the switch-plate M, in order to maintain thedial-cam in its retracted position, as described, and this is secured bythe shape of the cam (V, which being mounted on the same stud, d, as thecam l? is moved simultaneously therewith. The parts being in theposition last described, with the dial-cam retracted and the dial-camplate in position so that the dial-needles no longer have yarn laidthereon, the cylinder-needles continue to knit a plain web until therequisite or desired length of such plain web is produced, whereupon thepins (Z under the call of the pattern are again projected into the pathof the toothed wheel 01 which is turned to raise the toe of the actuator(1 upon the high portion of the cam d to thereby move the arm (Z and itsconnected switch-plate to free the pin from between the wall m and thecam-switch m and force the cam K into its full projected position, thetoep of the actuator P being at the same time depressed by its spring einto the low portion of the cam P, and thereby draw the dial-cam plate Kback to its original position,with the locking-pin L in engagement withthe hole (6 in the dial-cam plate, the dial-needles at such time beingin position toreceive yarn from the thread-guide and knit, thus, inconnection with the cylinderneedles, completing the welt.

As hereinbefore pointed out, the cam-switch m is spring-controlled,theobject of which is to permit the cam-switch m to be held as indicated inFig. 5,'in order that when the switch-plate is turned in the directionof the arrow, Fig. 3, by its actuator one of the pins 70 on the cam 70shall be engaged by the switch and the cam be moved or slid on thecamplate; but when, as in passing from rib-knitting to plain knitting,the dial-cam plate is released from engagement with the lockingpin L,and consequently remains stationary, the pins 70 may pass over the outersurface of the cam-switch as the latter is carried around by thecam-cylinder in a direction opposite the arrow in Fig. 3, as will beclearly understood, without causing a sliding movement of the dial-cam,the pins 70 at such time pressing the cam-switch inward against theaction of its spring m.

It will be noted that the dial-cam is constructed in a single piece, andthat when ribknitting is being performed the said cam is projected, withits nose or end Ye in position with respect to the dial-needles that thelatter are given a full reciprocation to receive thread and knit; butwhen plain knitting is to be performed by the cylinder-needles either inthe formation of a tuck or welt the said dial-cam is retracted withrespect to the dialneedles, so that in the rotation of the dialcam platethe needles are given only a par tial reciprocation, the same not beingsuflicient to cause them to shed their loops, but

yet sufficient to have the yarn or thread laid thereon. In other words,the dial-cam has a sliding movement as a whole on the dial-plate to putthe dial-cam either in an operative position to cause the dial-needlesto receive yarn and knit or in another and functionally inoperativeposition to cause the dial-needles to make a partial reciprocation only,at which time they receive yarn or thread, but retain their loops and donot knit.

I-Iaving described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a dial-needle platecarrying needles, a dialcam plate provided with a needle-actuating cammovable on said dial-cam plate, and pat tern-controlled devicesincluding a switchplate carrying a movable switch for moving said caminto retracted position so that the needles shall be caused to move onlya part of their full reciprocation and to thereafter return said cam toits projected position to move the needles their. full reciprocation.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination of dial and cylinder needlesand dial and cylinder cams for operating said needles in the productionof ribbed work, pattern-controlled meansincludingaswitch-platecarryingapivoted switch for changing the position of the dial-cam tocause the dial-needles to reciprocate only a part of their full knittingstroke to have thread laid thereon without shedding their loops in theformation of tuck-stitch, and to thereafter return said dial-cam toposition for giving the dial-needles their full knitting stroke tocontinue ribbed work.

3. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a thread-guide, dial andcylinder needles and cams for operating the cylinder-needles, a dial-camfor operating the dial-needles, pattern-controlled means for moving thedialcam to cause the dial-needles to reciprocate only a part of theirfull knitting stroke to have thread laid thereon without shedding theirloops, pattern-controlled means independent of the first mentionedpattern controlled means to thereafter place said dial-cam in positionwith respect to the thread-guide that the dial-needles will neither knitnor have thread laid thereon, both of said pattern-controlled meansbeing thereafter actuated to return the dial-cam to position to givefull knitting stroke to the dial-needles and to return the cam toposition with respect to the threadguide that the dial-needles will takethread and knit in completion of thewelt.

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a stationary dial-needleplate, a dial-cam plate loosely superposed thereon, cylinderneedles andcam-cylinder for operating them, a locking device for locking thedial-cam plate to rotate with the cam-cylinder, and a pattern-controlledtrip for disengaging the locking device to permit the dial-cam plate toremain stationary with the dial-needle plate fora part revolution of theca m-cylinder.

5. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a thread-guide, dial andcylinder needles and cams for operating them in the production of ribbedwork, pattern-controlled means for changing the position of the dial-camwith respect to the needles to cause the dial-needles to reciprocateonly a portion of their full stroke and have thread laid thereon withoutshedding their loops, a second patterncontrolled means independent ofsaid firstmentioned pattern-controlled means to thereafter turn thedial-cam away from the threadguide so that the dial-needles shallneither take thread nor knit, both of said patterncontrolled means beingthereafter simultaneously actuated to return the dial-cam to fulloperative position with respect to the needles and to return thedial-cam to position with respect to the thread-guide that thedial-needles will take thread and knit in completion of the welt.

'6. In a knitting-machine,a dial-needle plate carrying dial-needles, adial-cam plate, a dialcam carried by said plate and adapted to slidethereon, a switch-plate having operative engagement with the dial-camand provided with a switch and a pattern-controlled actuator for movingthe switch-plate and its switch to throw the dial-cam radially whenmoved in one direction and to be movable in the opposite directionwithout imparting movement to the dial-cam.

7. In a knitting-machine,a dial-needle plate carrying dial-needles, adial-cam plate provided With slots, a dial-cam having pins projectingthrough said slots, a switch-plate having a cam-switch for engagementwith one of said pins to slide the dial-cam on the dial-cam plate whenmoved in one direction only, and pattern-controlled means for operatingthe switch-plate.

8. In a knitting-machine,a needle-cylinder, a cam-cylindenmeans foroperating the latter, a dial-needle plate carrying dial-needles, adial-cam plate having a dial-cam slidingly mounted thereon, saiddial-cam plate being loosely mounted with respect to the dial-needleplate, a locking device for locking the dial-cam plate to rotate withthe cam-cylinder, a switch-plate for sliding the dial-cam oncylinder,and pattern-controlled means for opcrating said switch-plateand actuator.

9. In a knitting-machine, a thread-guide, a needle-cylinder, acam-cy1inder,means for operating the latter, a dial-needle platecarrying dial-needles, a dial-cam plate having a dial-cam slidinglymounted thereon, a switchplate carrying a pivoted cam-switch for slidingsaid cam on said cam-plate into two positions, one to causethedial-needles to take thread and knit in conjunction Withthecylinder-needles for the production of ribbed work, and the other tocause the dial-needles to take thread but not cast their loops while thecylinder-needles continue to knit a plain Web in the formation oftuck-stitch, and pattern controlled means for operating the switch-plateat desired times.

10. In a knitting-machine, a thread-guide, a needle-cylinder, acam-cylinder, means for operating the latter, a dial-needle platecarrying dial-needles, a dial-cam plate having a dial-cam slidinglymounted thereon, a switchplate for sliding said cam on said cam-plateinto two positions, one to cause the dial-needles to take thread andknit in conjunction with the cylinder-needles for the production ofribbed work, and the other to cause the dial-needles to take thread butnot cast their loops While the cylinder-needles continue to knit a plainweb in the formation of tuckstitch, an actuator for turning the dial-camplate into two positions with respect to the thread-guide, one such thatthe dial-needles shall be operated at a point adjacent the thread-guideand the other at a point remote from said guide,and pattern-controlledmeans for operating the switch-plate and dial-cam plate actuator in theproduction of a welt.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WARREN D. HUSE. LEON C. HUSE.

Witnesses: GEo. W. GREGORY, GEo. H. MAXWELL.

